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Notre Dame football: Realistic expectations for Kyren Williams

By Brad Weiss

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 27: Kyren Williams #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs against Jahlil Taylor #52 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of their game at Kenan Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 27: Kyren Williams #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs against Jahlil Taylor #52 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of their game at Kenan Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame football program got an incredible effort from Kyren Williams last season, so what are the expectations for the running back in 2021?

After losing eighty percent of their starting offensive line to the NFL, and the all-time winningest quarterback in program history, the Notre Dame football program has a lot of questions on offense. At wide receiver, both of their top options are gone as well, making this an interesting summer in South Bend.

However, one position group that is set heading into 2021 is running back, led by a dynamic duo in Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree. As the feature back in 2020, Williams ran all over ACC defenses, racking up over 1,100 yards, and helping this Irish offense to a perfect undefeated regular season, and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

As he enters Year 2 as the main back for the Irish, Williams will look to build off his successes in 2020, and there is no reason to believe he won’t. In fact, there is a great chance that Williams inches closer to the 1,500-yard mark in 2021, this after the Irish lost so many weapons this past offseason to graduation, and the NFL.

Notre Dame football to lean heavily on the running backs

Based on all the question marks, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will max out what they can get from Williams. Also, back when he was the starting quarterback at Wisconsin, presumed starter Jack Coan leaned heavily on running back Jonathan Taylor, watching the star back rush for over 2,000 yards on 300 carries.

Williams has proven that he can shoulder the load before, and he even was active not only in the passing game but also as a blocker for the Irish last season. Realistic expectations for Williams would be another standout year as the feature back for this Notre Dame football program, as well as a possible All-American selection.

With another solid season, Kyren Williams will vault into being one of the top-10 running backs, statistically, in the history of this storied program. As a redshirt sophomore, he could technically go to the NFL after this season, and based on his overall skill set, he would be one of the top backs available in the 2022 class.

It may be the last season for Williams in South Bend, so let us enjoy it.

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